The invention concerns in general the technical field of elevators. Especially the invention concerns mobile communication network for an elevator system.
Nowadays wireless communication becomes more and more common in elevators, e.g. an emergency telephone or other devices use wireless technology, such as second generation (2G), third generation (3G), or fourth generation (4G) mobile telecommunication technology.
When going towards high speed fifth generation (5G) mobile telecommunication technology, signals have higher frequency, even up to 30 GHz, and therefore shorter range. At the same time buildings are coming more eco-efficient, which means that walls and windows will block wireless network signals to reach floors of the buildings and especially elevator shafts. Because, the elevator shafts are usually a backbone of the building made, e.g. from concrete and steel, it is difficult for wireless network signal to get into the elevator shaft, where a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone or an elevator emergency telephone (KRM), may usually locate. Thus, modern buildings with metallized windows and effective thermal insulation with aluminized surfaces may prevent the usage of the wireless network or at least weaken the network significantly.
The 5G mobile telecommunication technology enables significantly higher data rates, such as 100 times higher, and wider bandwidths than the 4G mobile communication technology. Thus, the 5G mobile telecommunication technology enables that a huge amount of data may be transferred. Moreover, the delay in 5G mobile telecommunication technology may be even less than 1 ms, which enables basically a real-time communication. Furthermore, the 5G mobile telecommunication technology enables several levels of communication systems for different mobile communication applications. For example, some applications may require very fast data rates and some other applications may in turn require a stable connection. Some examples of these levels may be open public network for mobile phones, licensed channels for limited use, and slow longer range for Internet of things (IoT), for example.
Moreover, according to elevator regulations it is not allowed to install into the elevator shaft any units, such as repeaters for providing wireless network, that are not related to elevators.
An objective of the invention is to present an elevator system having a multichannel mobile communication functionality and a method for providing a multichannel mobile communication functionality for an elevator system. Another objective of the invention is that the elevator system having a multichannel mobile communication functionality and method for providing a multichannel mobile communication functionality for an elevator system improve the use of the mobile communication network.
The objectives of the invention are reached by an elevator system and a method as defined by the respective independent claims.
According to a first aspect, an elevator system having a multichannel mobile communication functionality is provided, wherein the elevator system comprises: an elevator shaft, and a mobile communication base station arranged the elevator shaft to a close vicinity of top of a building, the base station is at least configured to receive and transmit signals with an external mobile communication system and to receive and transmit the signals inside the elevator shaft, wherein the signals comprise multiple channels and at least one of the multiple channels is configured to provide a first high-speed functionality for the at least one elevator related unit of the elevator system.
The other channels of the multiple channels may be configured to provide at least one of the following: a slow speed functionality for one or more non-time critical units or devices, a second high-speed functionality for non-elevator related local systems, a public communication functionality for public mobile terminals.
The signals may be 5G or pre-5G signals.
The elevator related unit of the elevator system may be a safety critical unit, which may be at least one of the following: wireless safety circuit, elevator emergency telephone, wireless intercom system, surveillance camera.
The base station may comprise at least one of the following: a passive repeater antenna, an active repeater antenna.
The elevator system may further comprise at least one secondary base station arranged to one or more landings of the elevator shaft and configured to receive and transmit the signals further inside the building.
The elevator system may further comprise at least one other elevator shaft, which does not extend to the top of the building and at least one other secondary base station arranged to the at least one other elevator shaft or to at least one landing of the at least one other elevator shaft, wherein the at least one other secondary base station may be configured to receive and transmit the signals inside the at least one other elevator shaft.
The elevator system may further comprise at least one automatic door and/or at least one escalator and at least one other secondary base station arranged to the at least one automatic door and/or to the at least one escalator, wherein the at least one other secondary base station may be configured to receive and transmit the signals further inside the building.
The at least one secondary base station may comprise at least one of the following: a passive repeater antenna, an active repeater antenna.
The external mobile communication system may be at least one of the following: public network, telecommunication company system, cloud system.
According to a second aspect, a method for providing a multichannel mobile communication functionality for an elevator system is provided, wherein the method comprises: receiving and transmitting signals with an external mobile communication system by means of a mobile communication base station arranged the elevator shaft to a close vicinity of top of a building, and receiving and transmitting the signals inside the elevator shaft by means of the base station, wherein the signals comprise multiple channels and at least one of the multiple channels provides a first high-speed functionality for at least one elevator related unit of the elevator system.
The other channels of the multiple channels may provide at least one of the following: a slow speed functionality for one or more non-time critical units or devices, a second high-speed functionality for non-elevator related local systems, a public communication functionality for public mobile terminals.
The signals may be 5G or pre-5G signals.
The elevator related unit of the elevator system may be a safety critical unit, which may be at least one of the following: wireless safety circuit, elevator emergency telephone, wireless intercom system, surveillance camera.
The method may further comprise receive and transmit the signals further inside the building by means of at least one secondary base station arranged to one or more landings of the elevator shaft.
The method may further comprise receiving and transmitting signals inside at least one other elevator shaft which does not extend to the top of the building by means of at least one other secondary base station arranged to the at least one other elevator shaft or to at least one landing of the at least one other elevator shaft.
The method may further comprise receiving and transmitting the signals further inside the building by means of the at least one other secondary base station arranged to the at least one automatic door and/or to the at least one escalator.
The exemplary embodiments of the invention presented in this patent application are not to be interpreted to pose limitations to the applicability of the appended claims. The verb “to comprise” is used in this patent application as an open limitation that does not exclude the existence of also un-recited features. The features recited in depending claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objectives and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
The base station 220 is configured to receive and transmit signals 245 with one or more external mobile communication systems 250. The external mobile communication system 250 may be for example at least one of the following: public network, telecommunication company system, cloud system, etc. The base station 220 is further configured to receive and transmit the signals 240 inside the elevator shaft 210 and thus enabling that the signal level is good even in the shaft pit. In Figures of this application the mobile communication signals 240 forming the mobile communication network are illustrated with individual dashed lines because of simplicity, but the network covers wider area, such as the whole elevator shaft 210 in
The elevator system 200 according to the invention may further comprise at least one elevator related unit 225 with which the base station 220 may be configured to receive and transmit the signals. The at least one elevator related unit 225 may be any elevator related unit, component, or system relating to the elevator system 200. Alternatively or in addition, the elevator related unit 225 may be a safety critical unit, which may be for example at least one of the following: elevator emergency telephone (KRM), wireless safety circuit, wireless intercom system, surveillance camera. According to elevator regulations it is not allowed to install into the elevator shaft 210 any units or systems, such as base stations for providing wireless network, that are not related to elevators. However, if one or more units, components, or systems of the elevator system, e.g. the elevator emergency telephone or safety circuit, are using the mobile communication network 240 provided by the base station 220, it is allowed to use of the mobile communication network 240 also by other units or users that are not related to the elevator system, such as any mobile terminal residing in the elevator car 215 in the elevator shaft 210. Thus, the base station 220 may be further configured to receive and transmit signals with the at least one mobile terminal residing in the elevator car 215 in the elevator shaft 210. The mobile terminal may be for example a mobile phone, a tablet computer, elevator related unit 225, or any device/system/unit capable to use the mobile communication network provided by the system according to the invention.
According to one exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the elevator system 200 may further comprise at least one secondary base station 320 arranged to one or more landings 260a-260n of the elevator shaft 210. The secondary base stations 320 may be configured to receive and transmit signals 240 with the base station 220 and thus configured to receive and transmit the signals 240 further inside the building 230. This is illustrated in
Furthermore, according to one exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the elevator system 200 may further comprise at least one other elevator shaft 410, which does not extend to the top of the building 230.
The at least one other secondary base station 420 arranged to the at least one other elevator shaft 410 may be configured to receive and transmit signals 240 with the base station 220 via at least one secondary base station 320 arranged to the elevator shaft 210 and thus configured to receive and transmit the signals 240 inside at least one other elevator shaft 410 and/or further inside the building 230. Arranging the at least one other secondary base station 420 to the at least one other elevator shaft 410 enables that one or more mobile terminals residing inside the at least one other elevator shaft 410 may use the mobile network 240 provided by the base station 220 via at least one secondary base station 320, 420. Thus, the base station 220 may be further configured to receive and transmit signals with the at least one mobile terminal residing in the elevator car in the at least one other elevator shaft 410. Alternatively or in addition, arranging the at least one other secondary base station 420 to each landing of the at least one other elevator shaft 410 enables that one or more mobile terminals residing almost anywhere inside the building 230 may use the mobile network 240 provided by the base station 220 via at least one secondary base station 320, 420. Thus, the base station 220 may be further configured to receive and transmit signals with the at least one mobile terminal residing inside the building 230 via the at least one secondary base station 320, 420. The mobile terminal may be for example a mobile phone, a tablet computer, elevator related unit, or any device/system/unit capable to use the mobile communication network provided by the system according to the invention.
Alternatively or in addition, according to one exemplifying embodiment of the invention, the elevator system 200 may further comprise at least one automatic door and/or at least one escalator.
The at least one other secondary base station 520 arranged to the at least one automatic door 540 and/or to the at least one escalator 550 may be configured to receive and transmit signals 240 with the base station 220 via at least one secondary base station 320 and thus configured to receive and transmit the signals 240 further inside the building. Alternatively or in addition, the at least one another secondary base station 520 arranged to the at least one automatic door 540a and/or to the at least one escalator 550 may be configured to transmit the signals to the base station 220 via at least one secondary base station 320, which may then transmit the signals to the external mobile communication system 250. Alternatively or in addition, the base station 220 may transmit signals received from the external communication system 250 to the at least one another secondary base station 520 arranged to the at least one automatic door 540 and/or to the at least one escalator 550 via at least one secondary base station 320.
Arranging the at least one another secondary base station 520 to the at least one automatic door 540 and/or to the at least one escalator 550 enables that one or more mobile terminals residing almost anywhere inside the building 230 may use the mobile network 240 provided by the base station 220 via at least one secondary base station 320, 520. Thus, the base station 220 may be further configured to receive and transmit signals with the at least one mobile terminal residing inside the building 230 via the at least one secondary base station 320, 420, 520. The mobile terminal may be for example a mobile phone, a tablet computer, elevator related unit, or any device/system/unit capable to use the mobile communication signals provided by the system according to the invention.
The 5G mobile communication technology enables that the signals comprise multiple channels for providing multiple functionalities for different applications and users. Thus, the above described elevator system 200 according to the invention enables that the signals, such as 5G or pre-5G signals, transmitted and received by the base station 220 may comprise multiple channels for providing multiple functionalities for different applications and users residing inside the elevator shaft 210. In addition, if the elevator system 200 according to the invention comprises at least one secondary base station 320, 420, 520 the signals, i.e. 5G or pre-5G signals, comprise multiple channels for providing multiple functionalities for different applications and users residing inside the elevator shaft 210, 410 and inside the building 230.
At least one of the multiple channels is configured to provide a first high-speed functionality for at least one elevator related unit 225 of the elevator system 200. The at least one elevator related unit 225 of the elevator system 200 may be for example any elevator related unit, such as a safety critical unit as described above. Because the delay in 5G network may be even less than 1 ms, it enables almost a real-time communication. This, in turn, enables that the safety circuit of the elevator system may be implemented as a wireless solution instead of the traditional relay-based solution. In addition, the channel providing the first high speed functionality may be protected against any cybersecurity-attack in order to enhance the safety of the elevator system.
Furthermore, at least one other channel of the multiple channels of the signals may be configured to provide a slow speed functionality for one or more non-time critical units or devices residing inside the building 230. The slow speed functionality may be used for example for Internet of Things (IoT), self-diagnostics of components, etc.
Alternatively or in addition, at least one other channel of the multiple channels of the signals may be configured to provide a second high-speed functionality for non-elevator related local systems residing inside the building 230. The second high-speed functionality may be used for example for an internal building level communication. The second high-speed functionality enables providing local mobile networks for one or more building level users, such as companies operating in the building 230. Some examples of the building level users may be for example building automation system provider, access control system provider, etc. Alternatively or in addition, the second high-speed functionality enables operation of local mini/micro operators. Furthermore, the channel providing the second high-speed functionality may be protected against any cyber-security-attack. Alternatively or in addition, the second high-speed functionality may comprise providing elevator related data obtained from one or more elevator related units, components, or systems for example to an external cloud server or similar.
Alternatively or in addition, at least one other channel of the multiple channels of the signals may be configured to provide public communication functionality for public mobile terminals. The mobile terminal may be for example a mobile phone, a tablet computer, or any device/system/unit capable to use the mobile communication network provided by the system according to the invention. Alternatively or in addition, public communication functionality may comprise obtaining identification information of a user or a product entering and/or leaving the elevator car. Furthermore, also location information of the user or the product may be obtained. The obtained information is confidential and may be used for example for material deliveries, for people flow analysis, or for rescue operation in case of emergency. Moreover, the obtained information may be used for basis of charging, if the elevator maintenance fees etc. are based on pay-per-use.
Next an example of a method according to the invention is described by referring to
Alternatively or in addition, as already discussed at least one other secondary base station arranged to one or more landings of at least one other elevator shaft may receive and transmit signals inside the at least one other elevator shaft and/or further inside the building. Thus, the base station may receive and transmit signals with at least one mobile terminal residing in the elevator car in the at least one other elevator shaft and/or further inside the building. Alternatively or in addition, as already discussed at least one other secondary base station arranged to at least one automatic door and/or to the at least one escalator may receive and transmit signals further inside the building. Thus, the base station may receive and transmit signals with at least one mobile terminal residing inside the building via the at least one other secondary base station. The signals may preferably be 5G or pre-5G signals as described above.
For sake of clarity, the processor herein refers to any unit suitable for processing information and control the operation of the base station 220, among other tasks. The operations may also be implemented with a microcontroller solution with embedded software. Similarly, the memory 704 is not limited to a certain type of memory only, but any memory type suitable for storing the described pieces of information may be applied in the context of the present invention.
The processor 702 of the base station 220 is at least configured to implement at least some operations of the base station 220 as described. The implementation of the operations of the base station 220 may be achieved by arranging the processor 702 to execute at least some portion of computer program code 705a-705n stored in the memory 704 causing the processor 702, and thus the base station 220, to implement one or more operations of the base station 220. The processor 702 is thus arranged to access the memory 704 and retrieve and store any information therefrom and thereto. Moreover, the processor 702 is configured to control the communication through the communication interface 706 with any external unit, such as with the external mobile communication system 250, the at least one secondary base station 320, 420, 520 the at least one elevator related unit 225 of the elevator system, and/or any mobile terminal. The base station 220 may be any base station, such as a repeater for example, suitable for receiving and transmitting 5G, pre-5G or similar signals.
Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the elevator system 200 according to the invention, the base station 220 may comprise an internal power source to provide operating power for the base station 220. The internal power source may be for example one of the following: battery, capacitive solution, regenerative solution. Alternatively or in addition, the operating power may be provided to the base station 220 from a solar cell arranged to the top of the building 230, such as to a roof of the building 230. Alternatively or in addition, the operating power may be provided to the base station 220 from an electric system of the building 230 or from a machine room of the elevator system 200, for example from power supply cables of the elevator system 200.
For sake of clarity, the processor herein refers to any unit suitable for processing information and control the operation of the secondary base station 320, 420, 520, among other tasks. The operations may also be implemented with a microcontroller solution with embedded software. Similarly, the memory 604 is not limited to a certain type of memory only, but any memory type suitable for storing the described pieces of information may be applied in the context of the present invention.
The processor 802 of the secondary base station 320, 420, 520 is at least configured to implement at least some operations of the secondary base station 320, 420, 520 as described. The implementation of the operations of the secondary base station 320, 420, 520 may be achieved by arranging the processor 802 to execute at least some portion of computer program code 805a-805n stored in the memory 804 causing the processor 802, and thus the secondary base station 320, 420, 520, to implement one or more operations of the secondary base station 320, 420, 520. The processor 802 is thus arranged to access the memory 804 and retrieve and store any information therefrom and thereto. Moreover, the processor 802 is configured to control the communication through the communication interface 806 with any external unit, such as with the external mobile communication system 250, the base station 220, the at least one elevator related unit 225 of the elevator system, and/or any mobile terminal. The secondary base station 320, 420, 520 may be any base station, such as a repeater for example, suitable for receiving and transmitting 5G, pre5G or similar signals.
Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the elevator system according to the invention, the at least one secondary base station 320, 420, 520 may comprise an internal power source to provide operating power for the secondary base station 320, 420, 520. The internal power source may be for example one of the following: battery, capacitive solution, regenerative solution. Alternatively, the operating power may be provided to the at least one secondary base station 320, 420, 520 from an electric system of the building 230 or from a machine room of the elevator system 200, for example from power supply cables of the elevator system 200.
The above described elevator system 200 according to the invention enables a full use of the mobile communication network. Furthermore, the above described elevator system according to the invention enables a high-speed functionality for at least one elevator related unit 225 of the elevator system. In addition, the above described elevator system 200 according to the invention enables other functionalities for different applications and users inside the elevator shaft 210, 410 and/or the building 230, such as access control, material management, building automation, lightning control, IoT, self-diagnostics of components, etc.
The specific examples provided in the description given above should not be construed as limiting the applicability and/or the interpretation of the appended claims. Lists and groups of examples provided in the description given above are not exhaustive unless otherwise explicitly stated.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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17198825.6 | Oct 2017 | EP | regional |
This application is a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/FI2018/050781 which has an International filing date of Oct. 26, 2018, and which claims priority to European patent application number 17198825.6 filed Oct. 27, 2017, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/FI2018/050781 | Oct 2018 | US |
Child | 16852960 | US |